Labyrinth
by jennibert
Summary: Ianto returns home to an unpleasant surprise, and it's up to Jack and Gwen to save him...or is it? Set post Exit Wounds. Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood. I'm just borrowing the characters for my own amusement.
1. Ambushed

As he pulled his car into the car park beneath his building, Ianto Jones noted the lack of lights in his flat with a sigh. Considering how pouty Jack had been when he cancelled their date, he shouldn't have been surprised. It's not like it was Ianto's fault that his brother-in-law hadn't bothered to tell him about the surprise party for Rhiannon's birthday until the night before. He couldn't even be irritated with Johnny for the lack of warning, not really. Not when his complaint about the timing had been met with the response it had. "If I'd given you more time, you'd have come up with an excuse not to come, and she'll be sad if there's a party and you're not there again." It was blunt, but not unfair. Ianto wasn't there very often.

But he couldn't take Jack. Ianto fully intended to introduce his lover to his sister, but he'd planned it for a more controlled setting, preferably one where it was just the three of them. Certainly not with half the neighborhood and most of Johnny's loud and boisterous family looking on. He'd had no choice but to cancel his plans with Jack. It's not like they didn't spend most of their time together anyway.

He shouldn't have been surprised when Jack got petulant about it. He'd even suppressed the flair of jealousy when Jack told him that he'd be spending time with someone else instead. But he had hoped that Jack's drink "with an old friend" would end early and Jack would swing by in hopes of still seeing Ianto tonight. Unable to talk about either his work or his lover, Ianto had found the party excruciating, though he'd stuck it out until ten for Rhiannon's sake. He could use some time with Jack to unwind.

Well, he'd just have to get to the Hub bright and early in the morning, bribe Jack with coffee. Gwen was rarely in before ten, so they could sneak in some time together without too much fear of discovery….though Gwen had been very careful about announcing her presence since the last time she'd walked in on them.

Ianto climbed the stairs to his fourth floor flat, keys in his hand. There were more people in the building lobby than usual, but then he was rarely home at this hour. Either the rift or Jack usually had him out later. His own floor was fairly quiet, thankfully. Ianto put his key into the lock just as the lift opened. He didn't pay much attention to the three men who came out of it until one of them bumped into him just as he got his door open. He was just enough off balance that a second shove knocked him to the ground.

He managed to twist in the air, landing on his shoulder rather than banging his head or breaking his wrists. His Torchwood-trained instincts kicked in, and he rolled to his left, cursing his decision to dress casually for the party. His button-down shirt couldn't conceal his shoulder holster the way his suit jackets did, so he was unarmed. The three bulky men followed him in, shutting the door behind them. _Fuck_.

Unarmed didn't mean defenseless, as the first goon discovered when Ianto swept his feet out from under him. The other two lunged for him, but Ianto rolled again, going the other way and regaining his feet before they repeated their attempt at grabbing him. "Not very good at this, are you?" he taunted, feinting to his left before darting right and sending one of the goons past him again. They were not, unfortunately, stupid enough to give him a straight shot at the door, but his gun was hanging in its holster on his coat rack, neatly hidden under his overcoat.

He was almost there when one of them got a hold on his right arm, using it as a lever to spin him into the wall. Ianto's head smacked painfully, but he still kicked out at his attacker, successfully hitting him in the knee. He fell to the ground, but failed to release his hold on Ianto's wrist, throwing him off balance and knocking his head into the wall a second time. The other two also gathered around. This was not going well.

Ianto used his free left hand to fumble for his mobile, unfortunately in his right jeans pocket. He lived less than two miles from the Hub—if Jack was there he could be at Ianto's flat in minutes. He should have thought of that first. He'd just gotten the device out of his pocket and was desperately trying to press the number 1 when one of the goons grabbed his shoulders and smacked him into the wall again. He lost his hold on the speed dial, and didn't have time to find it again before a second shake made him lose the mobile completely. It clattered to the floor.

The goon he'd kicked wasn't putting any weight on the knee, and the one he'd tripped seemed to be favoring a wrist. He kicked again, but the man holding him shifted, leaning his considerable weight against Ianto and moving one hand to his windpipe. Ianto went very still as it suddenly became hard to breathe.

"Guess we are good at this," snarled the man with the bad wrist. "Get the mobile. We'll need it," he added to the one with the bad knee. He produced a plastic baggie from his pocket and pulled an odd smelling cloth from it. Despite the lack of air, Ianto started to struggle again as the goon pressed the cloth to his face. _Chloroform_, his brain reported as everything went black.

TW TW TW TW

Jack Harkness was bored. He was still irritated at losing his original plans—which had involved some interesting uses for whipped cream—but over the course of the evening his annoyance had cooled. So Ianto wasn't ready to introduce Jack to his sister. It's not like Jack had taken Ianto to meet his daughter either—in fact, his lover still didn't even know Jack had a daughter. It was hypocritical of him to punish Ianto him for not including him with his family.

But Jack had spent the evening watching Rift monitors, since Alice had had other plans when he'd called her, and that meant Ianto had to suffer a little. He knew Ianto wouldn't be able to last at Rhiannon's for more than a few hours—he never did, even on Christmas—so he aimed to arrive promptly at midnight.

The flat's windows weren't lit, but Ianto's car was in its usual spot when Jack parked the SUV, so he assumed the younger man had simply gone to bed. He took the stairs to the fourth floor two at a time. He tried to be quiet as he slipped his key in the lock—it would be fun to just sneak into bed to wake him up—but his idle thoughts stopped cold when he got the door open.

"Ianto!" shouted Jack as he took in the signs of the struggle. He drew his Webley without thinking, checking each room, but only the living room seemed disturbed…and there was no sign of Ianto. Jack was dialing his lover's number even as he pulled the mobile from his pocket.

It was answered on the second ring. "Ianto! Where are you?" barked Jack.

"Good evening, Captain Harkness," said a cool female voice on the other end. "That was quite quick. I'm impressed."

"Who are you? Where's Ianto?"

"I'm afraid Mr. Jones is sleeping off the sedative we gave him. I hadn't expected you to miss him until morning, so I didn't think it would matter." Jack's blood ran cold.

"What do you want with Ianto?"

"Actually, Captain, the question should be what do we want from _you_, and what are we willing to do to your handsome young lover to ensure that we get it?"

"What do you want?" His hand tightened on the phone, knuckles turning white in the effort to keep his voice level.

"Here in Cardiff is a rift in space and time. I understand you have the ability to manipulate it. I want to do that."

"You realize that doing so could cause a lot of harm," began Jack, but the woman cut him off.

"That's my problem. Yours is that Mr. Jones will die if you don't give me what I want." Jack flinched. "You have twenty-four hours to deliver it before I start cutting into your boyfriend. I'll be sure to phone you when I do, so you can hear him scream."

"NO!" Jack burst out, his mind racing. "No, don't hurt him. I'll give you what you want." He didn't even notice that he was shaking. "I want to talk to Ianto."

"I told you Mr. Jones is asleep. But I'll be glad to let you speak with him when he does wake. I'll phone in a few hours. You can update me on your progress, and I'll let you speak to your young man." Before he could speak again, she was gone.

Jack stared at his phone. He couldn't give this woman what she wanted. Anyone willing to torture someone to death—and he had no doubt that was what she meant—was definitely too unstable to be given any access to the Rift. But the alternative…he couldn't lose Ianto. He needed Ianto.

Jack pulled his phone back out as he moved through the door, but before he could dial Gwen, he noticed the door of the flat next door cracked open. On the other side stood an older lady that he'd seen a few times before when he'd been going in or out. Ianto had mentioned her as well—he was in the habit of carrying her groceries.

"You're young Ianto's friend. Is he all right, then?" she asked.

"Actually, I'm trying to find that out myself," replied Jack, flashing his broad smile. "Have you seen him?"

"Heard quite a crashing in there about an hour ago," she said. "Then three strapping lads came out, one of them carrying your Ianto. He was out cold. I asked if they wanted me to ring for an ambulance, but they said no, they were taking him to the A&E. Probably nothing, they said, he'd just gotten a little pissed and hit his head. But I've never known the boy to drink that much. One of them was limping."

Jack suppressed his grin because he knew it would look odd, but he couldn't stop the surge of pride that came in knowing Ianto must have been the cause of the limp. "Could you tell me what they looked like?"

TW TW TW TW

Gwen Cooper took three tries to get her key into the lock on the tourist office. Rhys had started complaining as soon as the mobile began to ring, but he'd stopped when he saw how pale she'd gotten when she'd heard the news. _Not Ianto too,_ she thought again as the lift took her down to the Hub. _Owen and Tosh nearly broke us—losing Ianto would finish the job._

Jack was already in the Hub poking at the computers. "I've got a location on Ianto's phone," said Jack as she came in. He didn't look up. "Stupid of her to hold onto it."

"Do you think that's where he is?" asked Gwen cautiously, alarmed by the intensity in her friend's voice.

"Not sure. I identified the car they took him in. The computer's tracing it through CCTV."

"Are you all right, Jack?"

"Of course I'm all right," he snapped in response. "I don't have time not to be. See if you can help me with this."

"Of course." Gwen sat down at the station she still thought of as Tosh's and took a look at the trace. She'd been doing more of this lately, though Ianto was better at it—she swallowed hard. One of them had to stay steady, and judging from the manic energy and tightness around his eyes, Jack wasn't going to be up for that. Not that she could blame him—he looked much better than she had when Rhys was in trouble. And though neither of her stubborn colleagues would admit it, she knew their feelings for each other were as strong as hers for Rhys.

She enjoyed watching them, particularly Ianto, whose blue eyes often looked with longing even when the rest of his face was carefully set. Jack was harder to read—he rarely lost his jovial mask—but not today. Today his feelings were written all over his face. _A shame Ianto's not able to see it_, she thought as the trace finished up.

"Same location as the mobile," she reported to Jack. "Just north of the city."

"Too easy," muttered Jack, and Gwen nodded.

"If they know we can manipulate the Rift, they must know we can track them," she agreed. "So the question becomes, what do they really want?"

"I don't know," admitted Jack heavily. "We're going to have to go in there after him. Let's see what information we can access on the building and surrounding area."

"We'll get him back, Jack," said Gwen softly, laying a hand on his arm. He summoned his usual smile, but her heart broke to see that it didn't begin to lift the haunted look in his eyes.


	2. Revelations

When Ianto began to regain consciousness, his hands were twisted behind his back and a bag was over his head. The parallel to the Brecon Beacons triggered an immediate panic attack, and he began to writhe and scream. _Not going to let them eat me, can't let them eat me. Jack! Jack! Where are you, Jack? _Ianto struggled until the bag on his head was yanked off.

The room was bare and brightly lit. No blood, no corpses hanging in bags. He took a deep breath, trying to rein in the panic. Wherever this place was, it wasn't there. Might be equally dangerous, but there was something less concerning when it wasn't cannibals.

Before him stood a small woman, human or human-looking at least. Ianto focused on the pretty face framed by dark hair just starting to show some gray. _Calm, keep calm. You've been through worse. You have to delay, look for an opening. Jack and Gwen are coming, keep yourself going until they get here._ He hated being a hostage.

It was several minutes before he could speak, during which the woman continued to simply stare at him. "Can I help you?" he asked her finally, his tone dry. She blinked at him once, twice, and then threw her head back and laughed.

"Well, Mr. Jones, that is not what I expected to hear you say," she said. "I can see why he likes you." She fiddled with a leather cuff on her wrist, and Ianto drew in a sharp breath.

"You're a Time Agent like Jack," he breathed, and the woman smirked.

"Bright too. Such a shame," she purred, and Ianto went cold. "But for the moment, we have other things to do. I promised your lover that I'd let him talk to you once you were awake." She pulled out Ianto's own mobile phone. "Don't speak until I allow it or you'll regret it." She pressed the 1 button until the machine beeped and dialed Jack.

"I want to talk to Ianto," demanded Jack's voice. Ianto opened his mouth to speak anyway, until he realized that one of the goons who'd jumped him at his flat had a gun on him.

"I know, Captain Harkness. You made that clear in our last conversation." Her voice was bored. "But I also made a demand. How are things going with that?"

"I'm getting it together. Portable Rift manipulators are not easy." Oh God, they couldn't let her have _that_.

"I'm sure Torchwood is up for the challenge. Eighteen hours now, Captain. I'd hate to have to hurt your boy here. I like him, he's snarky."

"He's mine," snapped Jack, and Ianto's heart jumped. "Put him on."

The woman smiled and held the phone to Ianto. "Hello, Jack."

"Ianto! Are you all right? What have they done to you?"

"Not too much. They managed to hit me with the chloroform before they hurt me too badly, though I suspect they kicked me a few times after they did." His ribs ached in places he didn't remember being hit.

"They'll regret every bruise," Jack growled, and Ianto felt warmer.

"Jack, she's got a wrist strap," he said urgently. "Like yo—" He broke off as the bloke with the gun pressed it against abdomen. He drew in a sharp breath.

"Ianto!" shouted Jack.

"She's going to kill me anyway, don't-!" he shouted. The woman pulled the mobile back to her own ear and motioned to the goon, who punched Ianto in the stomach. He swung again, a blow to the head that had Ianto's ears ringing. If the woman and Jack had anything further to say to each other, he didn't hear it.

By the time everything cleared, his mobile was nowhere in sight. "That was less bright, Mr. Jones," said the woman, her face cold.

"You have no business with a Rift manipulator," Ianto growled.

"You think I didn't know what the answer would be?" she asked contemptuously. "He always had a taste for handsome boys. Was one himself, when he was your age."

"You knew Jack when he was my age?" She was with the Time Agency. He shouldn't have been surprised.

"I did. He was quite the little prick, all sex appeal and no substance. Loved to play around and hated it when people took his toys."

"You want him to come for me," breathed Ianto. "I'm not a hostage, I'm bait."

"Bait and punishment all in one. He was a bit older than you when he forced me to watch as he killed my lover." Even though he'd suspected her plans for him, his eyes still went wide. "It is a shame," she continued. "You're so effective. My boys thought it was overkill to send three men for one—what was the word? Poof?"

"I try to be unpredictable," Ianto said as his mind raced. She'd known Jack when he was younger—she might not know about his immortality. John Hart hadn't. It wasn't much of a hole card, but any piece of information known to him and not her was valuable. "What are you going to do to me?"

"You'll see after your Jack gets here," she said mildly. "It's odd to call him that. I knew him by a different name." Intrigued despite himself, Ianto raised an eyebrow. "At the Time Agency, he called himself James Harper. Of course, since no Time Agent worth his salt used his real name, it's unlikely that's it either. Don't know where he picked up Jack Harkness."

"1941," said Ianto without thinking, and the woman laughed.

"He's talked to you a fair amount then. I picked my target well." He needed to keep her talking. She might give him more information.

"So did he use James or Jim?" asked Ianto, raising an eyebrow.

"Jimmy, mostly, though he rolled out the James for introductions," she said.

"Same way he always introduces himself as 'Captain' now," he said with a smile.

"Always been an arrogant sod." She rolled her eyes.

"Some things never change." Ianto smiled slightly, and she looked closely at him.

"You're really in love with him. He doesn't deserve it."

"Then you don't know him very well."

"I know him plenty well enough!" she shouted. "I'm going to make him watch as you wander through the labyrinth until you die, and then I'm going to kill him, slowly and painfully, and throw his body to the rats." Ianto's eyes flashed, and he struggled fruitlessly against the cuffs on his wrists and ankles. "That's pointless. Save your strength for the labyrinth. You'll need it." She turned on heel and stalked from the room.

_Well, she definitely doesn't know he's immortal. Not going to help me very much._ Ianto sighed, flexed his stiff shoulders, and debated the merits of trying to get out of the cuffs.

TW TW TW TW

Gwen closed her eyes as Jack raced the SUV across the city. His driving was reckless on a good day; with Ianto in danger, he was breaking more traffic laws than he was obeying. The roads were reasonably clear as it was not yet six, but Gwen had taken the precaution of warning the police that there was an emergency.

"I still think you should have let me call for backup. Andy's good in a crisis, and while Retconning a friend isn't my favorite pastime, I'll allow for the circumstances." Even with her eyes closed, she could feel the vehicle swing as Jack took a turn at a far higher speed than the manufacturer had intended.

"Can't risk it."

"More risk than just the two of us, Jack?"

"Whatever they might have, you and I won't have a panic attack when we see it."

_Unless what we see is Ianto's body_. Gwen shuddered at the thought but didn't say it aloud, not to the man's lover. "So do we have a plan then?"

"If I'm interpreting what Ianto was trying to say correctly, we're up against a Time Agent. She doesn't really need a Rift Manipulator, which means she took Ianto for another reason."

"Do you know who she is?"

"Not specifically, but it's been a really long time since I had contact with any time agents, and I wasn't always on the best of terms with them." The car swung through another wild turn, and Gwen gulped. "Odds are good it's someone with a grudge against me. But why here? Why now? _Why Ianto?_"

"Because he matters to you," said Gwen quietly. "Because she knows you'll come for him."

"I knew it was a trap. I was just hoping you'd tell me I was wrong." Jack sighed. "Let's just hope she's willing to believe I've come alone."

TW TW TW TW

It was hard to tell since his watch was twisted behind his back, but Ianto was pretty sure it wasn't more than ten minutes before the woman returned. Two of the goons from his flat were with her, but that wasn't what made Ianto's eyes widen. _Apparently she wasn't kidding about the labyrinth_, his stunned mind decided.

The towering figure stood guard over him while the goons took the cuffs off of his wrists and ankles. Ianto rolled his shoulders and rubbed at his wrists, trying to relieve the tingling there. He said nothing, not wanting to give the bitch the satisfaction. Clearly his resolution irritated her, as she and the goons swept back out without speaking to him.

Once they were gone, Ianto regarded the other creature curiously. "You're a minotaur."

"That is what they call me," it replied in a deep voice. "You are not cowering like the others."

"I'm Torchwood," said Ianto with a shrug. "I've seen weirder." The creature looked at him with wide, dark eyes. "You said there were others."

"She brings those who deserve death here. If they make it through the labyrinth they may live. But they never do."

"And what have I done to deserve death?" asked Ianto flatly.

The creature looked startled. "I would think you should know. Ariadne assures me that only the most deserving are brought here."

"Ariadne? Is that what she calls herself?" asked Ianto with a hollow laugh. "If I remember my Greek mythology, Ariadne was the one who betrayed her father, King Minos, by letting Theseus kill the Minotaur." The creature looked startled. "As for what I've done, I've no idea. Fallen in love with Jack, I suppose." And what had possessed him to say _that_ out loud?

The minotaur regarded him curiously. "She holds you because you have fallen in love?"

"Well, more because she knows she can use me as leverage against him," shrugged Ianto. "She knows he won't want to lose another member of our team." Even in his own head, he couldn't suggest that Jack loved him. "She talked a little bit about what went on between them, but I doubt that Jack's version of the story is the same as hers."

"Yet she says you are to go into the labyrinth." Ianto gave the minotaur a wry smile. "That is not justice. Regardless of whether this Jack of yours is guilty, you have done no wrong, Torchwood."

"Ianto. Torchwood is where I work, Ianto is my name." He paused considering, before asking the obvious question. "What's yours?"

"My name is unpronounceable in your language. Ariadne merely calls me 'Minotaur.'"

"That's not a name, it's a label," said Ianto softly. "Could you tell me your name, even if I won't be able to pronounce it?" The minotaur regarded him curiously, then spoke. He was right; Ianto was pretty sure he couldn't manage the syllables, but it did remind him of something he could pronounce that was even vaguely appropriate. "Can I call you Crete?" he asked.

"Crete," repeated the minotaur. "I suppose that is acceptable, Ianto." It seemed the creature had almost as much difficulty with his name as he did with its. Ianto again gave his wry grin.

"Don't suppose you can tell me anything about the Labyrinth then, Crete?" he asked.

TW TW TW TW

_**Author's Note: This story came around because I had an image of my head**** of Ianto sitting against a wall, his knees drawn up to his chest while he talked to a minotaur. No idea where it came from.**_


	3. In the Labyrinth

Jack had dropped Gwen off a few blocks from the building, praying that his enemy didn't have surveillance out that far. She wasn't happy about the distance—more because she was afraid she wouldn't be there in time than irritation over the extra walking—but she'd gone along with his plan. Now he just had to hope that whatever Time Agent he was up against, she assumed he was as arrogant as he'd been before he met the Doctor.

He parked the SUV just out of sight of the door to the compound where Ianto was being held—somewhere he was sure they had surveillance, though he made a point of not looking for it. He had his Webley in his hand as he carefully moved towards the side door he'd identified on the map, making a show of looking for guards.

Their security left something to be desired, making Jack believe that he might make it in to rescue his lover without needing his plan. He slipped up behind a goon who was clearly supposed to be standing guard and placed his Webley behind the man's ear.

"Take me to Ianto Jones," he said menacingly.

"Now, now, Jimmy," said another voice as Jack felt a gun against his own head. He froze, but not because of the weapon. Suddenly the voice he'd heard on the phone clicked into place.

"No one's called me that for a long time," he said. "And are you still Ariadne?"

"That will do. How did you come by the rank of captain?"

"World War II."

"Interesting. All right, give up your gun to the nice man, and turn around slowly." Jack did as ordered, looking closely at the woman before him.

He'd guess her at about ten or maybe fifteen years older than the last time he'd seen her, though it was hard to say—it had been more than twenty-one hundred years for him, which made the details fuzzy at best. "So, Ari, what brings you to Cardiff?"

"You, actually. It's taken me quite a while to find you, Jimmy."

"Jack." His voice was sharp.

"Jack," she repeated sarcastically. "Never known you to be sensitive about your name. We Time Agents have too many of those."

"I'm not a Time Agent any more. And I've been Jack for a while now." Nearly a hundred and fifty years even without the time he'd spent buried. He was used to Jack. "Where's Ianto?"

"He is an amusing boy. Deserves better than you."

"He does," agreed Jack. "Fortunately for me, he doesn't believe that. What do you want, Ariadne?"

"I want you to die." _Good luck with that_. Jack was unable to keep the smirk off of his face. "But if you're a good boy, your Ianto just might make it out of here."

He allowed them to lead him into what looked like some sort of control room, didn't fight when they cuffed him to a wall, though he couldn't restrain his mouth. "You know, Ari, if you want bondage, we can arrange more a more comfortable space."

"You are still a self-important prick." Ariadne smiled maliciously. "Want to see your lover?"

On the monitor, Ianto was pacing. He looked a little bruised, but his steps were unhindered. He hadn't been lying when he said he wasn't badly hurt.

"What—"

"Oh, don't ask me that again," snapped Ariadne. "Just watch." She spoke a few words into her wrist strap, and on the screen a man entered the room with Ianto, brandishing a gun.

"Over there," the man said, gesturing with the gun. Ianto moved as ordered, his eyes locked on the weapon. It was hard to make out his expression on the screen, but he looked frightened. Jack managed not to curse aloud.

Ianto didn't speak, but he moved slowly through a door that had opened in the wall behind him, forcing the man with the gun to approach in order to push him through it. But as soon as he was in range, Ianto began to move. In one fluid motion, he grabbed the man's gun arm, pulling it forward as he kicked him in the knee. The goon yelped and released the gun. Behind him, the door slammed shut.

Jack laughed at Ariadne's gasp of shock.

"What other weapons are you carrying?" Ianto demanded, his voice low and rough.

"I'm not telling you nothing."

"I can put a bullet in your knee if it will help you decide." His voice was at its dry, perfect best. Jack grinned broadly.

"You've already kicked it twice. Can't get more broken."

"I meant the other knee." The man blinked, looked closely at Ianto, and pulled several items from his pockets. "Put them on the ground, then move back." The man complied. Ianto kept the gun trained on him as he retrieved a second pistol, a pair of knives, and what looked like the canister of anti-Weevil spray that Ianto always carried.

"Very impressive, Mr. Jones," said Ariadne.

"I do my best," said Ianto mildly. "I understand I am to go through the Labyrinth and if I manage not to get myself killed, I will be permitted to go?"

"You're stealing my thunder," said Ariadne. "But even with the weapons, I doubt you'll make it."

"Everyone underestimates Ianto Jones," said Jack cheerily.

"You've been guilty of that a time or two yourself," responded Ianto, and Jack could see the twinkle in his eye even through the video feed.

Ariadne looked murderous. "Get moving, Mr. Jones." She pressed a few buttons on her wrist strap, and then turned to Jack. "He's better than I gave him credit for, but my monsters will still rip him to shreds. You can watch him die, like you made me watch Theseus die."

"That's what this is about?" Jack couldn't keep the incredulous tone out of his voice. "You do remember that he was about to cause a paradox that would have killed not only us but all of existence?"

"You murdered him in front of me!"

"I had seconds to stop him. I couldn't exactly take your feelings into account." Not that he necessarily would have at that point in his life, but that wasn't entirely relevant. "It was kill or be killed, Ari. What you're doing to Ianto is murder."

Ariadne screeched, slapping him across the face and causing his head to bounce painfully off of the wall he was chained to. The words she was screaming at him were largely indecipherable anyway, but the ringing in his head finished the job. _Careful, Jack_, he warned himself as his head cleared. _Don't want her to notice how fast you heal._

TW TW TW TW

Ianto really wished he had some of the sedative that Torchwood used. The two weevils he'd shot then hit with the spray weren't going to stay down long, and he didn't need them following him. It was going to be hard enough keeping up with what was in front of him.

It wasn't that he didn't feel the fear—he was terrified. But that wasn't an uncommon occurrence working for Torchwood, so Ianto had learned how to function despite it. Right now he had to concentrate on getting to Crete. The minotaur was the last obstacle, and while he had made Ianto no promises, he was pretty sure that his protestations of innocence had gone against the creature's sense of justice. All he had to do was get to him.

Step two would be a bit more complicated. He was hoping that Crete would be able help him find Jack—giving directions even if he wouldn't come along. He had to locate his lover before Ariadne discovered what would happen when she killed him. Someone as unstable as she seemed would take great pleasure in abusing Jack's inability to stay dead, and Ianto didn't intend to let her.

He took down another weevil, only barely managing not to get bit. He didn't even recognize the plant-like being that came close to strangling him, and the hoix managed to draw blood when it got a grip on his left arm before he put four bullets into it. The wound wasn't bad, though he took the time to rip off the sleeve of his shirt to wrap it—the shirt was a loss anyway, and he didn't want to leave a trail of blood for the monsters to follow.

He checked the gun in his hand to find it empty. The other still had a full clip, but he wasn't sure how many more things he might run into before he got to Crete, and he might need some of the bullets for Ariadne and whoever else was with her.

Ianto started forward again, checking the next corner as he came to it. While he wasn't actually keeping his left hand on the wall as that would damage his defensive positioning, he was sticking with it. Thus far he'd gone around two dead ends, but surely his strategy would have to pan out eventually. _Keep telling yourself that._

He was managing to take down another weevil without firing any bullets—thank God for the anti-weevil spray—when things became complicated. Two additional weevils appeared and proceeded to charge him. Ianto leapt over the one he had down, or tried to—it was more aware than he'd expected and grabbed at him, sending him sprawling. The gun clattered from his hand. _I'm so close! I can't let her win. _He scrambled towards his weapon, kicking at the weevil that had grabbed his ankle, but he heard the sharp report of an automatic before he managed to close his hand on his gun. He whipped it around, holding it levelly towards this new threat, his hands steady despite his terror.

"Gwen," he gasped in relief. She'd taken out all three weevils from the side. Two were still moving on the ground; the one nearest him was not.

"I owe you for a couple of weevils," she said as she offered him a hand. He accepted gratefully even as his face clouded at the memory. _Tosh_. "Where do we stand, then?"

"If I make it through the labyrinth, I live. Jack's been captured. Don't shoot the minotaur."

"Minotaur?" she repeated. "Really?"

"She calls herself Ariadne. Apparently has a bit of a Minoan fetish."

"Don't you mean Greek?"

"No, the minotaur's labyrinth was on Crete, created by King Minos."

"Trust you to know," she teased, and he smiled. "Which way?"

They took down one more weevil and another hoix. Ianto felt like he'd been going for hours—and his stomach was beginning to make it known that he'd eaten nothing since some light snacks at Rhiannon's party. He tried to ignore it, along with the lingering headache from the chloroform, the pain in his arm, and the bruises on his throat. He had to get to the end, had to rescue Jack. First the Master and then Gray had subjected him to a long series of painful deaths, and Ianto wasn't going to let the man he loved go through that again.

He heard a sound to his right, and both he and Gwen whirled to level their pistols at it.

"Well done, Ianto," said a deep voice, and he relaxed fractionally.

"Thank you, Crete." Beside him Gwen's eyes were just about falling out of her head, but she lowered her weapon when Ianto lowered his. "This is my friend Gwen. She came to rescue me. Gwen, Crete."

"Nice to meet you," squeaked Gwen. The minotaur nodded at her politely, then turned back to Ianto.

"I thought you mentioned your love's name as Jack." He noticed Gwen do another double take at the phrasing, but Ianto kept his attention focused on the minotaur.

"Ariadne has him. She's making him watch. Do you know if she can hear us?"

"The men are always complaining that they can hear only the screams, not the pleading."

"We have to rescue him," said Ianto as he restrained his shudder more successfully than Gwen did hers. "Please."

"She may not hear, but she will see."

"No, she won't," said Gwen, pulling a small device from a pocket inside her leather jacket.

TW TW TW TW

Jack was far more amused than he expected to be. Naturally his heart had been in his throat a few times—particularly with the plant-creature, and again with the three weevils—but overall he loved watching his Ianto standing strong. And he enjoyed the way Ariadne reacted every time Ianto moved forward.

She'd started swearing in languages Jack had forgotten he spoke when Gwen appeared on the screen. "What, you didn't think I walked blindly into your trap, did you? Give me some credit," drawled Jack, earning himself a slap.

But when Gwen turned off the camera, Ariadne had actually turned red to the point that Jack idly wondered if it really was possible for steam to come out of someone's ears.

"Told you that you underestimated him," he said smugly.

"Not again. He'll be coming here, for you. He's too in love with you to leave you to die."

_More's the pity_. _I can survive a little torture, and if she does that she'll probably get rid of my body before I come back. Probably._ But Ianto wouldn't risk it and Jack knew it.

Ariadne ordered the two goons remaining in the room to get out. She produced a laser gun that was decidedly not correct for the twenty-first century, leveling it at Jack's head as she lounged against a console.

The door burst in, and Ianto and Gwen entered with their guns ready. He kept his steadily on Ariadne as she swept the room, checking for other threats. Pride surged through Jack at their professionalism.

"Well done, Mr. Jones," drawled Ariadne. "No one's ever made it as far as you did through the Labyrinth, and I suppose I can even forgive Ms. Cooper's interference, as I failed to specify that you couldn't have help." Ianto raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, his gun remaining steady without the slightest tremble. _God, he is so hot_. "You survived my Labyrinth, so you're free to go."

"I'll take Jack with me."

"Cut your losses, boy, before I decide to keep Ms. Cooper as well."

Ianto's eyes flashed, but it was Gwen who spoke. "Not bloody likely. Give us Jack before we kill you."

"You don't have the guts, girly," snorted Ariadne derisively.

"Underestimating again," muttered Jack with a grin. Ariadne cocked her weapon loudly.

"Shut up, Jimmy. You have thirty seconds to leave," she added, her gaze locked on Ianto. "I'm going to kill him regardless, but since you survived my test, I'll spare you the pain of watching. Walk away, Ianto Jones."

"Never," hissed Ianto.

"Your loss," said Ariadne. Jack had a moment to register the sounds of gunshots as the green light seared between his eyes…then everything went black.


	4. Aftermath

Ariadne screamed as the bullets cut into her—Gwen's through the meat of her upper arm and Ianto's breaking the bones of the same forearm. The laser pistol clattered from her hand as she dropped to the ground, clutching the injured limb against her chest and gazing in triumph at Jack's fallen form.

Determinedly not looking at his lover, Ianto took a step forward and put his gun against Ariadne's head. "Gwen," he said, his voice low and gravelly but steady. "Take off her wrist strap."

Ariadne looked up at him as Gwen complied. "Guess you didn't care for him as much as I thought," she sneered. Ianto's eyes darkened.

"Don't talk about things you don't understand."

Gwen rose and set the laser pistol and wrist strap to the side, then produced another item from inside her leather jacket. "Here, Ianto," she said as she again steadied her pistol at their prisoner. "Take care of Jack."

Ianto tucked his gun in the waistband of his jeans and accepted the electronic lock pick from Gwen. Only then did he turn to look at the man he loved.

Jack was collapsed on the ground at an odd angle, his wrists still cuffed to the wall. His eyes were open, and between them was a terrible burn that Ianto could tell was already starting to disappear. He'd be awake soon, and Ianto wanted his lover in his arms before that happened. The lock pick had the cuffs opened in less than a minute, and Ianto had Jack cradled in his arms moments later.

"No tears?" mocked Ariadne.

"No need," responded Ianto just as Jack gasped and clutched at him. "It's all right, Jack. I'm here," he added in a softer voice.

"Are you all right?" demanded Jack, and Ianto chuckled.

"_You_ were shot between the eyes but you want to know if _I'm_ all right?"

"That Labyrinth didn't look like it was a walk in the park."

"Considering how many weevils we have in our parks, I'm not sure it was that much different." Jack's grin spread across his face. Ianto smiled back.

"H-how?" stammered Ariadne behind them, and both men turned to look at her. "That laser should have literally fried your brain!"

"I can't die," said Jack with a shrug.

"Technically, you just don't stay dead," corrected Ianto.

"But—but—you came back for him! Why bother if he'll just get back up?"

"And what would you have done to him if you'd discovered you can kill him as many times as you like?" asked Ianto as he helped Jack to his feet. "He's had enough people try that." Jack slipped an arm around Ianto's shoulders and leaned on him in a way Ianto suspected was less about support and more about staying close. He slid his own arm around Jack's waist without bothering to analyze why.

"We should probably get her to hospital," said Gwen dispassionately.

"I think the NHS would be a little confused by someone who doesn't exist," said Ianto. "And it will cause an assortment of questions about why she's taken two shots in the arm."

"We can't just let her bleed," exclaimed Gwen.

"We won't," said Jack. "We've got a medical kit in the SUV. It'll patch her up well enough to send her to a time when she does exist and can answer for her crimes."

"I can assist with the latter part," came a deep voice. "I imagine you are not the first person to be a victim of her version of justice. My people will be glad to investigate and hold her accountable for them as well as for you."

"Thank you, Crete," said Ianto as Jack goggled for a moment.

"Wow. Those are some impressive horns," he said finally.

"I take it you are Ianto's Jack."

"Captain Jack Harkness, at your service. I owe you for helping Ianto." Jack disentangled himself from Ianto enough to extend his hand.

"He opened my eyes to what was really going on. It is I who am in his debt." Crete accepted the outstretched hand.

"Make sure she can't come here again and I'll call us square," said Ianto as Jack leaned back against him.

"It is done," said Crete.

"Can you stand guard while I get the med kit?" asked Gwen. "Ianto could use some attention from it as well, I suspect."

TW TW TW TW

Two hours later they were in the SUV and headed back into Cardiff, Jack driving much more sedately, Gwen was pleased to see.

Ianto and Gwen had mostly killed the monsters in the labyrinth, but the remaining few had been sedated and packed in the back of the SUV. Ariadne had been patched up and sent off with Crete. Jack had shown him how to use the wrist strap to get them both to the correct time and place—looking green with envy as he did. Ianto had also had some makeshift medical attention and was resisting Jack's determination to take him to A&E. Gwen kept having to stifle smiles at the by-play between them.

"It's not that bad, Jack," Ianto insisted again. "Really, I just need to rest."

"You were savaged by a hoix and nearly strangled by a plant, and that's after you were beaten and chloroformed."

"And your scans confirmed I have nothing broken. You've packed me full of painkillers and anti-inflammatories and determined that my arm doesn't need stitches. I don't need to go to hospital." He was starting to sound petulant.

Jack—who'd been petulant for a while—started to respond, but Gwen cut him off. "After we get the weevils and such in the vaults, why don't the two of you go to Ianto's while I watch the Hub for the day," she said quickly. "You can keep an eye on Ianto while he rests, then you can relieve me this evening."

Both of them shot her what they thought were surreptitious looks of gratitude, and the argument subsided. Gwen rolled her eyes at the pair of them, chuckling quietly to herself. They were starting to get quite adorable together.

TW TW TW TW

As soon as the door to Ianto's flat closed behind them, Jack had his lover in his arms, kissing him for all he was worth. "Scared me," he confessed when they broke apart. "For a while there, I was sure I had lost you."

"I was a little afraid of that myself most of the night," Ianto said, trying desperately to keep his voice steady despite the surge of joy that went through him at Jack's words. The great Captain Jack Harkness was not only worrying about him, but admitting to it.

"All right, bed for you," Jack said cheerily, and Ianto raised an eyebrow. "That's not an innuendo," came the quick protest. "You need to rest to get over your injuries."

Ianto smiled. "Not quite that fast. Pizza should be here in fifteen minutes." Jack blinked. "It's nearly noon, and I haven't eaten anything since a sandwich on my way to Rhi's party."

"Of course," said Jack. "We should have shared with Gwen."

"Hers will be delivered to her at the Hub," Ianto said mildly, and Jack laughed.

"Of course it will."

"I have just enough time for shower. Alone," he added in response to the lecherous grin that inspired.

"You know you look hot when you're all mussed up."

"So you've told me." Ianto dropped a kiss on Jack's lips and headed for his bedroom.

By the time he joined Jack again, the pizza had arrived and Jack had put it on plates. They chatted as they ate, Ianto telling Jack about the party and Jack bemoaning his evening spent alone. After, Ianto was surprised when Jack stripped down to join him in bed. As he fell asleep cradled in his lover's arms, he had an odd thought: _It might have been worth getting kidnapped to have him react like this. Maybe….maybe he does love me._


End file.
